Steamer or heater for tempering wheat or other grain



(No Model.)

I. D. ZIMMERMAN 8a I'. BBALL.

STEAMEH 0H HEATER TOE TEMPERING WHEAT 0E OTHER GRAIN. E No. 460,624. Patented Oct. 6, 1891. g

F@ N K B EA l. n.. H )their Qornag UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK D. ZIMMERMAN AND FRANK BEALL, OFv MINNEAPOLIS, MINNE- SOTA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO HUGH CREA, OF DEOATUR, ILLINOIS.

STEAMER R HEATER FOR TEMPERING WHEAT 0R OTHER GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,624, dated October 6, 1891.

Application filed March 12, 1891.

To 'fz/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK D. ZIM- MERMAN and FRANK BEALL, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steamers or I-Ieaters for Tempering lVheat or other Grain, of which the following is a specification.

In steamers or heaters for wheat or other Io grain, as at present constructed, the difficulty is that when the rolls diminish in feed or the bin becomes filled,'as the case may be, the grain backs up into the steamer and is cooked or baked.

The object of our invention is to overcome this diiiculty and to more evenly and thoroughly steam or heat the grain. IVe attain the first result b v placing a valve-regulator in the lower end of the heater, suspended above 2o the discharge-openin g, and so connecting such regulator with the inlet-valve that when the grain backs Vslightly above the regulator the weight and motion of the grain force the regulator downward and 'close the valve. XVe attain the second result by a set of inclines, funnel-formed and cone-formed, which scatter the grain and extend the distance of its travel, thus subjecting it longer to the steam or heat.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this speciiication, 1 represents in vertical section an outer cylinder, and 2an inner cylinder, the space between the two walls being used as a steam-jacket. The lid 3 has 3 5 double walls, which inclose an air-cavity, and

also has a threaded collar et, into which the threaded inlet-tube 5 is screwed and adj usted. The conical valve 6 is adapted to the opening of the inlet-tube, and is held more or less 4o distant from the same by means that will hereinafter appear. The rod S carries the conical valve on its upper end, and it has a guide-bearing in a hole in the center of spider 7. The lever 9 is pivoted midway between its ends on rod 19, and it is pivotally connected at one end with rod 8 and at the other end with rod 10. The funuetforined valveregulator 12 is carried by rod 10 some distance above the discharge-opening. Spider 11 has 5o a central opening, which provides a guidebearing for rod 10. The funnel 13 forms an Serial Nc 384,819. (No model.)

l bayonet-catch, or is otherwise detachably connected, in order to give ready access to the 6o valve-regulator. Pipe 20 supplies steam to the heater, and pipe 21 permits the water resulting from condensed steam to be drawn oft. Holes 22 supply steam from the jacket to the interior of the heater. The arrows illustrate the direction of the grain through the heater.

In operation the tube 5 is adjusted the required dist-auce from cone 6 to supply the proper amount of grain, and the grain so supplied falls from one incline to another, being 7o subjected meantime to the steam or heat, while in a scattered condition, and finally passes from the heater throughch ute 18 to rolls or to a bin, as the case may be. If rolls are being supplied and their feed diminishes from any cause, or if the grain is run into a bin and the bin becomes filled, grainwill back up in the chute and the heater until the regulator 12 is more or less covered, when such regulator will descend and force the valve 6 8o upward by means of the rods and lever until the inlet is closed sufficiently to correspond to the changed discharge-flow. As soon as the grain flows freely from the heater, the relieved regulator will rise and permit the coni- 8 5 cal valve to open completely, as indicated in the drawing.

The valve is tol be weighted to raise and hold the regulator, or rod S may be weighted,

or the left end of the lever, or the pivot may 9o c be set to the right of the center of the lever and the same result-z`. e., the raising of the regulator-be accomplished.

It is essential that the regulator shall have inclined surfaces and be adapted to normally permit the passage of grain, otherwise its form is unimportant and it may be conical, for, instance, as well as funnel-shaped.

The device, as shown,is particularly adapted for use as a steamer. In order to heat the 10o grain without steaming it the openings 22, which extend around the inner cylinder, are

closed, and in addition to this the scatteringinclines may advantageously be made hollow and supplied with steam.

Te claim- 1. In Steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination of a steaming or heating compartment, a valve to admit grain to the compartment, a valve-regulator suspended in the discharge end of the compartment, and a connection between the regulator and the inlet-valve adapted to be actuated by the descent of the regulator and to regulate or prevent the iiow of grain into the steaming or heating compartment, as set forth.

2. In Steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination of'a steaming or heating compartment, a lever in the compartment pivoted between its ends, an inlet-valve sustained from one end of the lever, and. a valveregulator suspended in the discharge end of the compartment from the opposite end of the lever, as set forth.

In Steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination of a steaming or heating compartment, a leverin the compartment pivoted between its ends, a rod extending upward from one end of the lever and sustaining an inlet-valve, a rod extending downward from the opposite end of the lever and carrying a valve-regulator in the discharge end of the compartment, and spiders having central openings acting as guide-bearings for the rods, as set forth.

et. In Steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination of a steaming or heating compartment, a lever pivoted between its ends, a rod extending upward from one end of the lever and sustaining an inlet-valve, a rod extending downward from the opposite end of the lever and carrying a valve-regulator in the discharge end of the compartment, and a threaded tube adapted to be screwed more or less nearly in contact with the inlet-valve, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK D. ZIMMERMAN. FRANK BEALL. Attest:

A. Y. DAVIDSON, E. A. MERRILL. 

